It has been a tumultuous year in South African politics, but we end it in slightly better shape than we started it – with a dangerous president increasingly running out of road, writes Arthur Christopher.

Centenary: ANC hijacked council funds, says IFP

THE Inkatha Freedom Party in uMgungundlovu District Municipality alleged that the ANC abused council funds to celebrate its centenary at Impendle on Friday last week.

The council denies the allegation.

IFP caucus leader councillor Mbongeni Madlala said the party had lodged a complaint with the speaker, Edward Dladla, after the municipality’s annual integrated development plan (IDP) and budget Imbizo was used by the ANC.

“The annual IDP and budget imbizo of the district has been hijacked by the ruling party whose representatives used the municipal funds to celebrate the ANC centenary,” said Madlala.

Democratic Alliance caucus leader Sibongiseni Majola said the party was totally opposed to the idea of a political organisation using a government function to pursue it s political agenda.

“We are also opposed to members of the public wearing their political party promotional material when attending government functions because it confuses people as to the nature of the function,” he said.

Majola said: “We will require expenditure findings after all these budget imbizos to check if we are still in line with what we initially budgeted for.”

However, UMDM manager Sibusiso Khuzwayo said the annual IDP and budget community participation programme was approved by full council.

He said the programme was unfolding and the council had held several imbizos in various municipalities under the district.

Madlala alleged that municipal resources were used for the hire of the venue at Impendle, transport and catering, which were intended for the IDP and budget imbizo but were simultaneously used by the ruling party for its centenary celebration.

Khuzwayo said this was not true.

“The above programme was deliberated at length at council level and approved accordingly. Unbeknown to us, we have since established that the imbizo in Impendle coincided with the ANC centenary celebrations,” he said.

Khuzwayo said the events were advertised at the same time in the community, which might have led to the confusion. “The reality is that the district event took place in Inzinga in Ward 2 and the ANC event took place in Gomane in Ward 4,” he said.

But Madlala insisted the two events took place at the same venue at the same time.

Khuzwayo said Madlala was part of the full council that had approved the community engagement programme and could attest that at time the councillors were not aware of the ANC’s plans.

• thobani.ngqulunga@witness.co.za

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